Boggabri Christian community united for a heartfelt goodbye at St Barnabas Community Church on Sunday, December 14.
The occasion marked the end of an era, as Rev Nick, Caroline and their family prepared to leave Boggabri after eight years of dedicated service.
The day began with a well-attended church service.
Parish warden Bill Crawter said it was wonderful to see the service drawing 100 worshippers and following the service, even more well-wishers arrived to join in a lively barbecue lunch and farewell gathering on the church grounds.
Mr Crawter opened the afternoon proceedings, welcoming the crowd on behalf of the parish council and expressing appreciation for the Stone family’s commitment and service.
Faith Clancy led those gathered in grace, setting the tone of thankfulness for both the meal and the occasion.
Sense of community was further highlighted by a series of touching speeches.
Del O’Connell shared words on behalf of the volunteers from the hospital, acknowledging Nick’s support and presence.
Penny Rees brought warm regards from the op-shop, while Jo Gillham, representing the pantry, delivered an emotional tribute that resonated with those present.
Liz and Greg Grosser offered a heartfelt thank you to Nick on behalf of the scripture program, recalling his guidance and encouragement.
Janet Watt spoke for the Sunday School, celebrating his involvement with the youngest members of the parish, and Dave Watt conveyed the parish council’s collective gratitude.
Bill Crawter drew the new gate in the church fence to everyone’s attention.
Sam Snape had made a gate and installed it in the fence with a plaque saying, ‘In Recognition of Minister Nick and Caroline Stone. For their devoted Service to the St Barnabas Community’.
Each speaker painted a vivid picture of the Stone family’s lasting influence across various aspects of church and community life.
Nick and Caroline responded with their own recollections, sharing heartful accounts of their family’s journey in Boggabri.
Rev Nick Stone, Caroline Stone and Heike Watson.
Nick’s response: “Boggabri is known as the little town with a big heart, and we’ve certainly experienced that ever since we first arrived in 2018.
We felt the warm welcome in more ways than one.
Just weeks before we were due to arrive, John Cooper, my predecessor, called to say that the aircon in the vicarage had packed it in.
So, Caroline and the kids stayed with her parents in Armidale for the first week, and I was treated to Andy and Heike Watson hospitality in their train carriage.
I think it was within five minutes of arriving at Brigadoon that Andy said to me: “let’s hop in the ute, I’ve gotta do some siphons.”
And so was my introduction to the wonderful world of cotton.
I hopped in Andy’s ute, and I’d never experienced before anyone reverse a ute so quickly!
The warm welcome continued in that first week – the first people to knock on our front door was Ron and May Boxsell, bearing gifts of a slice May had cooked, vegies from their garden, and, what Ron called ‘church bells’, olives harvested from this church olive tree, that Ron had bottled.
There have been many unique experiences during my time here: Riding in a boat to visit people during the floods; seeing the Watsons arrive by boat to church during the floods. During COVID, when I would record church on a CD for those who didn’t have the internet, learning of Ron and Penny Rees sitting in their car to listen to the CD because they didn’t have a CD player.
I’ve enjoyed bush cricket with the Maules Cricket Maulers – looking out on a brown, dusty cricket oval, seeing at a fielder with a stubby in one hand and a cigarette in the other, and a stick being used as the bails.
We’ve always experienced that great country value of giving a helping hand when we’ve had car problems.
Once, heading out to the Snapes after a baptism, we got stuck in some big rocks on the Rangari road where the road often gets washed out.
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Matt and Bear Gillham were there to tow us out.
On another occasion we weren’t far out of Gunnedah towards Mullaley visiting my cousin and we got a flat tyre coming home – again, it wasn’t long before someone stopped to help, in fact, after a while there were two or three local farmers nearly competing to help.
There are always maintenance issues with a church.
We’ve had church windows to repair.
The first broken issue was caused by a cricket ball, hit by the vicar.
The second broken window has caused a few laughs.
I received a call from the repairer once to say that he was five minutes away.
I told him I was in Tamworth, but my wife could open the church for him.
That night I asked Caroline and she said no one turned up.
A few weeks later I followed up this repairer who reported – “yeah, I’ve gotta get the glass from Queensland, it’s called Cathedral glass – I can’t work out whether the colour is amber red or amber orange.”
I said – “ah, it’d be amber orange”.
He said – “just checking it’s the window closest to the school”, to which I said “ah, you went to the Catholic church”.
He replied with “well, it’s funny you should say that because when I got off the phone my offsider said to me “funny for a catholic priest to have a wife.”
Serving among the church family here at St Barnabas’ has been a joy – you have all been so kind – putting up with my constant sporting illustrations in my sermons – and I trust, coping okay with my sense of humour.
Thank you to all of you.
You were a wonderful support when my Mum died in 2019 and a wonderful support this year when Caroline’s health hasn’t been great.
There’s a lot that happens to make a little church like ours happen.
And though I’ve been the minister, it certainly hasn’t just been me involved – the backbone of a local church is the people.
So thank you to those who have helped with kids’ church and kids’ club, taught scripture, met for Parish Council, served as church wardens, helped at pantry, watered pot plants, mowed lawns, taken the bins out, managed the finances, given financially to the church, counted money, served morning tea, led church services, welcomed people to church, prayed and read the Bible, prepared communion, attended AGMs, met for Bible study, chopped tree branches, sung and played for carols, built sheds and cubby houses, cleaned the church, poured concrete. Thank you.
Thank you to all of you for your care, support and encouragement.
To Bill and Peggy Crawter – Bill has served as my vicar’s warden these eight years and has looked after things when I’ve been away.
Even being willing to preach when he had COVID and I was in the Solomon Islands – before I urged him to stay at home.
To Caroline, Lachlan, Henry and Annabelle – thank you for your love, care and support.
I may well have had the title of VVicar’, but my ministry here would have been markedly different without them. Thank you.
The warm welcome you all extended to the Stone family is an echo of the warmest welcome we can ever hope for, and this welcome has been the focus of my ministry these eight years in Boggabri.
And it’s the welcome provided by God himself.
It’s a welcome we can’t receive on our own.
But it’s a welcome God lovingly provides through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Jesus has been the focus of my ministry.
I firmly believe his is the best news we’ll ever hear, and so as I conclude my time in Boggabri, if you forget everything else, I pray you never forget Jesus, and all that he has done for us.”
As a final gesture of appreciation, Heike Watson presented Nick and Caroline with a beautiful canvas adorned with photos taken around Boggabri.
Each image captured moments and places that held special meaning for the Stone family, serving as a lasting reminder of their years spent in the community.
The farewell event at St Barnabas Community Church was a fitting tribute to the Stone family’s dedication, warmth, and lasting legacy in Boggabri.
As they embark on the next chapter of their lives, they do so surrounded by the love and gratitude of a community that will always remember their time together.
The plaque attached to the gate.
